Muramasa Blade
History The existence of a Muramasa Blade was mentioned was in Wolverine vol.1 # 1. It's location has been revealed to Wolverine by Silver Samurai (Wolverine volume 3 #37). However, this blade is not the same blade presented to Wolverine by Muramasa himself. The first Muramasa Blade, often referred to as the Black Blade, is many centuries old. This original blade was forged by Muramasa using a piece of his own soul and granted a number of superhuman physical attributes to the one who wielded it. Muramasa, who has been stated as being quite mad, also poured his madness into the blade. After wielding the sword for a period of time, the wielder would slowly be overcome by the sword's influence. The Silver Samurai is last known to have had this sword, though he no longer uses it. The current location of this blade is unknown. The sword currently wielded by Wolverine is a sword forged specifically for him by Muramasa. On their first meeting in Japan, Wolverine came to Muramasa after his wife Itzu had been murdered, so he could help him to "kill 'em all". Muramasa accepted, and promised to forge him a "mighty blade -...- against which all... even one as great as you... will fall" out of Logan's thirst for revenge. When Logan came to claim the weapon (Wolverine vol.3 #41), Muramasa gladly gave it to him, telling him to "wield it like an angry god". Wolverine used it against a S.H.I.V.A robot, cutting it in half with a single blow. Later research of the remains of the robot have shown, that it was not cut, but rather "sliced, on the molecular level". The scientist who was doing the research theorized, that the instrument could have been some sort of plasmic form. In a subsequent fight with Captain America (Wolverine Origins #5), the sword was used against Wolverine, leaving a scar on his chest, which oddly didn't heal as usual. In Wolverine Origins #5 after the fight was over, Wolverine gave the sword to Cyclops, explaining it by saying: "This is the only thing in the world that can put me down for good." Most recently (Wolverine vol.3 #55), Wolverine has taken the sword from Cyclops and used it against Sabretooth. After a short fight, Logan decapitated his foe, killing him once and for all. Properties of the Muramasa Blades The Black Blade is many centuries old and possesses a variety of mystical properties that it possesses in and of itself and properties that it grants to those who wield it. Muramasa took a portion of his soul and used it in forging the sword. As a result, the blade also contains a portion of Muramasa's evil and madness. The alloy that the sword is made of is unknown and is black in color, but has shown to be virtually indestructible. The sword has withstood multiple blows from Wolverine's Adamantium claws and has struck his Adamantium-laced bones without sustaining any damage. The blade also grants superhuman physical strength and resistance to injury to whoever wields the sword. However, eventually, the madness and evil that Muramasa poured into the blade will eventually overcome the will and original personality of an individual if he or she has it for too long. The second Muramasa Blade, the one currently in Wolverine's possession, was forged specially for him. Muramasa has stated that he used a piece of Wolverine's soul in forging this blade, just as he used a piece of his own in forging the Black Blade. This sword is also made of an unknown alloy that was originally bright red in color, but now has the color of a conventional blade. However, much like the Black Blade, this sword is also extremely durable and is capable of cutting almost any substance. The blade has easily cut through the armor of a S.H.I.V.A. robot on a molecular level and has also "sliced" one of Cyclops' optic beams into several different beams and reflected them in different directions. The sword is also capable of greatly reducing the efficiency of a superhumanly fast healing rate if an individual that heals superhumanly fast is injured with the sword. Wolverine himself has stated that the sword is the only think on Earth that can truly kill him. For example, during a battle with Captain America, Wolverine was injured with the sword. Though the wound was minor, it remained inflamed and didn't fully heal for a period of several days. Another, more recent example, involves Wolverine using the sword to slice off Sabretooth's right and and to decapitate him moments later. Sabretooth attemps to hold his severed arm in place so that the tissues will reconnect, as he did after having his right hand sliced off by Wolverine's Adamantium claws in an earlier confrontation. The arm merely falls back to the ground. It is possible that, if given enough time, Sabretooth could have either reattached his arm or grown another one. Category:Weapons Category:Magical Items Category:Copy Edit